BRIDGE News:
Alan Wadlinger and Randy Baker were Monday winners in both flights A and B. Jerry Fleming and Cliff Rudy were high in Flight A on Wednesday, while Neill Goltz and Bev Cooper won Flight B.
The following hand illustrates the power of a preemptive bid by opponents who have no chance to win the contract.
Look at the potential difference without the preempt! Challenge!
Board 1 from the February 11 game: North is the dealer and neither side is vulnerable.
North has an opening bid of 1♦. If East passes, which most will probably do, N/S should have no problem getting to 4♠ or perhaps even a space slam. As the cards lay, this should be easily made. However, what if East makes a preemptive 3♣ overcall? This puts South in a bit of a bind. The choices are 4♦, 3♠ or a negative double. The latter might be the best choice, and will likely put the N/S partnership in 4♠ with little likelihood of looking for slam.
When this hand was played locally, three pairs played in 4♠/N or S making 4, and one pair played in 5♦/N making 5, an undesirable result.
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (BESAC) Wednesdays starting at 12:45, and at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (WRSAC) Mondays at 12:45. Check out the Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club’s new website to learn what it’s all about, contact the club to get involved, join the fun, and much more.
Perhaps you’ve seen the old card game “Bridge“ mentioned in a book or seen it being played on the Orient Express in an old Agatha Christie black-and-white movie. Maybe you’ve even tried to play it in the remote past with Mom and Dad (or even more likely Grandma and Grandpa) around the kitchen table. Well, it hasn’t quite gone the way of the typewriter or film cameras, yet – and, in fact, it has a substantial Free-on-the-Internet presence. LEARN TO PLAY BRIDGE!
That being said, it is a game that needs new and younger Face-to-Face players and, here in Los Alamos the local club is ready to bring you on board with nighttime, after work or weekend, FREE lessons, and playing opportunities.
We have four locations available – the game store in White Rock, the Mesa game store on Central here in Los Alamos, the Los Alamos Public Library, or Smith’s Market!
What we need from interested folks is some indication of interest and what day of the week and location would be most convenient. Please reach out to Neill Goltz at 641.236.1170 (neill.goltz2@gmail.com) or Bobby Haynes at 505.753.3249 (rsh@valornet.com) with your questions and preferred time and location!